Vogue’s 25th Anniversary

Just typing that header gave me pause.  Madonna’s Vogue is one of my favorite songs of all time and its accompanying video might just be the best I’ve ever seen.  I just can’t believe I was 18 years old when this song came out!!

Now, a previously unreleased collection of outtakes from that shoot opens a window onto a mysterious world that we rarely get to see.

Whether you like Madonna or are a music video fan in general, this is a must-see.  For me it was an eye-opener mostly for the amount of work, tenacity, stamina, creativity, passion, and talent that goes into these 4-5 minute videos that quickly come and go even when a song is successful.

I mean, think about it.  A movie or even a television show, in which the same kind of work goes into, when they’re good, they become classics featured on end-of-the-year top movie lists à la Citizen Kane, they get re-released in theaters à la Star Wars, they get extended cuts and anniversary editions, or they go in syndication.

A music video, especially now that MTV isn’t what it used to be anymore, can find a lot of play while a song is fresh, but after that, even if the song itself is included in countless compilations, the video tapers off, only to be occasionally replayed by some hard-core fan or a newbie.

Just seeing how many times a scene had to be repeated, always giving it your all, always acting the required part, always hitting the same notes and moves, was humbling.  Especially for the star of the video, who doesn’t get as much downtime as the rest of the crew because she’s literally in every scene.  That’s who people want to see.

We only get to see the finished videos, and they always seem effortlessly made.  They might look like they cost a lot, but one has no idea of the amount of planning, time, and work that went into the shoot.

Anyway, I know it’s long, but it’s worth it.  Take a look.

And here’s the final, impeccably polished product, which was directed, a fact I wasn’t aware of, by David Fincher, who’s become one of my favorite movie directors.

Via Towleroad.